Kaleidoscope of Death

CHAPTER 41: THE FRAMED PAINTING

If one had encountered such a situation in the real world, they probably would've brushed it off, thinking they were being overly sensitive, fretting over nothing. Alas, this wasn't the real world but the treacherous world beyond the door. As a result, Lin Qiushi couldn't help but overthink the situation, even if it merely turned out to be a part of his own delusions.

He carefully scrutinized the scenery outside the window, confirming that the dark figure within the garden had truly vanished, before returning to bed. He didn't dare turn off the lights this time, and in the brightness of the room, he tried falling asleep.

Lin Qiushi was still plagued by restlessness for a while, but once he recalled that serene sensation that spread through his body every time he slept next to Ruan Nanzhu, his consciousness began to grow hazy and his eyelids fluttered slightly. Ruan Nanzhu truly was the only drug that could cure him of his insomnia, Lin Qiushi vaguely thought as he drifted off to shallow sleep.

The following morning, Lin Qiushi awakened to the chimes of the clock. Now that it was bright and early, he planned to find Ruan Nanzhu after washing up and getting ready.

It was obvious that Lin Qiushi did not sleep well last night, and the massive dark circles underneath his eyes served as proof of that. He stared into the mirror, gawking at the unfamiliar man before him. Although the face was different, the aura around him was quite similar; if not all, the more he studied himself, the more similarities he could spot between his current appearance and his original one. Once he finished changing his clothes, Lin Qiushi exited his room and knocked on Ruan Nanzhu's door.

The door slowly opened with a creak, but, contrary to expectations, the one behind it was actually Tan Zaozao. Her face was even uglier than Lin Qiushi's right now; she looked as though she didn't get a wink of sleep last night. Upon seeing Lin Qiushi, she grouchily greeted him with a monotone "Good morning."

Ruan Nanzhu had also got out of bed to wash up, and he had just walked out of the bathroom when he heard Lin Qiushi's voice. With glimmering water droplets still clinging to his damp hair, smoothly sliding down his sharp jawline, he turned around and pleasantly greeted the other, "Morning."

Glaring hatefully, Tan Zaozao huffed with raged and stomped towards the unoccupied bathroom.

Lin Qiushi was rather puzzled at her angry behaviour, but he soon discovered the reason for Tan Zaozao's grumpiness—the girl had actually slept on the floor of the room for the whole night. Her pitiful-looking bed was arranged right next to Ruan Nanzhu's large, incredibly comfy bed.

"You made her sleep on the floor?" Lin Qiushi stared incredulously at the ground for a few minutes.

"Where else would I let her sleep?" Ruan Nanzhu shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't like sleeping in the bed with others."

Lin Qiushi: "..." He thought back on the countless nights he spent sleeping in the other's bed, snuggling right up to him, hugging him tightly... Perhaps he heard incorrectly, because Ruan Nanzhu's statement made absolutely no sense.

Ruan Nanzhu added, "You're the only exception." Yep, he really must be hearing things, because the other was still speaking nonsense.

At Ruan Nanzhu's awfully suggestive and brazen statement, Lin Qiushi awkwardly changed the subject, "Ahem, so did you sleep well last night?"

"Extremely well." Ruan Nanzhu replied. "The bed was quite comfortable."

The huge bed was truly too snug; anyone who experienced its soft coziness would never want to leave. Yet, no matter how comfortable the mattress was, Lin Qiushi doubted anyone in this situation had the heart to genuinely appreciate it like Ruan Nanzhu.